Massage apparatus.



I PATEIA'TED AUG. 13, 1907. s. P. sowsm. SSAGE APPARATUS. APPLIDATION FILED AUG. 31, 1904.

UNITEDYSTATES PATEN FFIQE.

SYLVANUS F. BoWsEa oF FORT WAY E, INDIANA.

MASSAGE APPARATUS.-

n'o. sea-14's.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed- A'ugust 81,1904. Serial Nd. 222,783.

I To all whom it may concern:

Y lowin'g is a specification.

This invention relates to massage apparatus.

= The object of the invention is to provide a massage apparatus which is exceedingly simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and efficient in operation.v

I A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the nature referred to which may be used manually to massage any part of the body, or which may be secured in a doorway, or in any other convenient place, and at adjustable heights, and against which the body, or any desired part thereof, may be rubbed. 1

i Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

i. The invention-consists substantially in the construc-. tion, combination, location and relative arrangement .of parts, all as will be morefully hereinafter set forth,

as'shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the ap companying drawings, and to the various views and reference signs appearing thereon,-

- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of one form of massage apparatus embodying the principles of my invention, and showing the application of the same to a doorway. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the formj of massage apparatus shown inFig. l, one-of the massage rollers being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal central'section on the line 3, 3, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section on the line 4, 4, Fig. 3,

'looking' in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a venient Place.

View in. rear elevation, parts broken off, showing means for clamping the device in a doorway or other con- The same part is designated by the same reference sign wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

The virtue of superficial friction such as is derived from massage in the treatment of certain ailments, such as rheumatism, sciatica, lumbago, and the like,

' as well as obesity and other ailments, has become well the-treatments, or to maintain anything like regularity inobserving appointments for a course of'treatments,

especially during business hours, and moreover, where.

the treatments are given by hand manipulations there is a failure, frequently, to attainthe desired degree of friction or pressure, or to reach the desired spots. It

- Referring to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the is among the special purposes of my present invention to provide a massage apparatus which is simple and efficient, and capable of being manipulated by the individual desiring or requiring its use, which may be employed morning or night upon rising or before retiring, which is handy and convenient for use,.

which may be readily applied to any desired part of the body and with any desired degree of pressure, which may be applied either in the form of a hand device or in the form of a stationary device capable of ready and easy adjustment 'for height, or otherwise, and against which the body, or any desired part thereof, may be rubbed, with a suitable degree of pressure, and wherein the parts composing the rubbing surface are in themselves inelastic. or non-yielding.

In the several figures of the drawing there are illustrated' a number of particular or specific forms of the "generic invention, and these specific forms will be hereinafter described in order that those skilled in the art may know what I now regard as the best forms in which the invention may be carried out, although the invention in its generic sense is, of course, not limited to these specifid forms, but in scope corresponds Withthe expression of it set forth in the claims, and I therefore do not desire to be limited or restricted to any specific form of construction used to illustrate in the subjoined specification and accompanying drawings. In the present application, however, while claiming broadly all the various forms of my invention, I have claimed specifically only one of them; and in my companion applications filed of even date herewith, and bearing Serial Nos. 222,784 and 222,785, I have claimed specifically certain of the forms herein shown and described.

drawings, the rollers A which are in themselves inelastic constitute the rubbing surface of the massage device, and may be mounted, in any suitable way on separate pins, as shown, or upon integral gudgeons, as illustrated in certain rollers in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings and hereinafter more particularly described; the pins or gudgeons B being journaled to rotate in bearings formed in side plates C D formed on or carried by bar E, or arranged in any other suitable manner for rotation.

In practice it has been found eflicient for the ends of the pins B to extend through and beyond the side plates, and carry roundedend pieces F, which also rotate with the pins B and rollers A. v The rollers are shown in-the'form of short cylindrical sections, and occupy the space between the side plates 0 D, being arranged in parallel relation with respect to each other, and spaced in juxtaposition at a proper distance apart. The rollers A, supported and arranged as above described, present a roller rubbing surface mapable of being applied to the surface of the body at any desired point and with any proper degree of pressure, either the successive rollers coming in contact with the body,

and the consequent vibrations thereby imparted, quickly produces a combined rubbing and kneading effect upon the surface of the body at the point of any plication of the devipe, which is beneficial, and which effect cannot be so beneficially secured by puiiely hand manipulation. And by suitably shifting the bar about, it will be readily seen that the device maybe applied to any desired portion of the surface of the body, thereby securing in-a most simple and efiicient manner the beneficial effects of the massage.

It may sometimes be desirable t6 secure the device in stationary position when required for use, and also to adjust its height so as to be brought into position for any desired part of the body to berubbed against the roller rubbing surface of the device. In Figs. 1 to 5, I have shown a construction embodying this idea, and in Fig. 1, I have shown the device as applied to a doorway as a convenient place of attachment. In this case I? provide the bar E, with adjustable clamping shoulders K L adapted to engage against the inside surface of the door jambs, while the ends of the bar E rest, or bear against the outer surfaces or faces of the jamb, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. In order that the device may be readily applicable to any width of doorway, one of'the clamping jaws or shoulders K L may be adjustably secured to the bar E. To this end, I provideone end of bar E with a series of holes M therethrough, in any one of which may be received a bolt N, which is arranged to pass through 'an elongated .slot 0 in jaw K. By this means an approximate adjaw L into one limit of its movement, while by rocking lever Q the cam face thereof is brought into bearing relation against the jaw L, and said jaw is-forced outwardly, thereby securing a clamping effect against the door jamb.

In the manner above described, it is obvious that the height of the device in the doorway may be readily and quickly adjusted. If desired, and in order to avoid injuring or marring, the door jambs by the application of the device thereto, the engaging or bearing surfaces of the jaws K L, and also the surfaces of the bar E which bear against the door jamb; may be faced with felt or other suitable material, as indicated at T.

While I have referred to the device as being applied in a doorway, it obvious that it may be stationarily secured in any other convenient place. In the foregoingdescription I have referred to the l s rollers as being mounted on pins B, and which pins are journaled to secure axial rotation of the rollers. I do not desire, however, to be restricted or limited to pins passing all theway through the rollers, as gud geons .or pintles may be employed to secure the same results, and in Figs. 2 and 3 l haveillustrated this idea, wherein the roller F is shown as being turned down to form journal pintles o r gudgeons G on which the roller may rotate. In this form of roller, the end pieces H are formed integrally with the roller. When, therefore, I speak of pins as forming the journals for the rollers, I desire to include broadly pintles or gudgeons.

From the foregoing description it will be seen'that I provide an exceedingly simple, efficient andinexpensive massage device, which maybe applied to. any

part of the body, and by which may be secured in a most satisfactory degree the beneficial effects of massage. 1

In' order that the invention mightbe fully understood by those skilled in the art, the details of the foregoing embodiments thereof have been thus specifically described, but 7 j What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-- p 1 1. In a massage device, a frame having side pieces, said side'pieces having journal bearings formed therein, in combination with a plurality of rollers extending in parallel re lation to each other from one side piece to the other to form a roller rubbing surface, and havlng jou'rnals intermediate their ends mounted in the bearings formed in said sidepieces the periphery of said rollers projecting beyond the edge of the frame on each side of the journals.

2. In a massage device, a frame having side pieces arranged in parallel relation a plurality of rollers journaled in said side pieces and arranged in juxtaposition to form a roller bearing surface, each roller having rounded end pieces associated therewith.

3. In a massage device, plurality of inelastic rollers arranged in parallel relation with respect to each other to form aroller bearing surface, each roller being'provided withstraiglit ends and having rounded end pieces asse ciated with each end thereof. Q

4. In a massage device, a frame having side pieces arranged in parallel relation to each other a plurality of rollers, pins on which said rollers are mounted, journal bearings formed in said side pieces and in which the ends of said pins are mounted to rotate, the ends'of the pins extending beyond the journal bearings, and end pieces mounted on the projecting ends of the pins.

5. In a massage device, a rigid bar having parallel side end pieces carried by the projecting ends of the pins.

4. In a massage device, a bar, in combination with inelastic rollers journaled on oneside thereof and. arranged.

to form a roller rubbing surface, and rounded end pieces connected to the ends of said rollers on each side of 'the bar. 8. In a massage device, a bar; rollers journaled thereon and arranged to form a roller rubbing surface, and means for statlonarily clamping said bar at any desired height in a doorway. i I

- 9. In a massage device, a bar, rollers journaled thereon and arranged to form a roller rubbing surface, and clamp jaws carried by said bar whereby said bar may be stationfll'llj' clamped at any desired height in a door-way. 10. In a massage device, a bar, rollers journaled thereon may be stationarily clamped at any desired height in a doorway.

11. In a massage device, :1 bar, rollers journaled thereon and arranged to form a roller rubbing surface, a clamp jaw adjustably mounted on said bar at one end thereof, a cooperating clamp jaw movublyniounted on said bar at the other end thereof, means for yieldingly maintaining said movable javv in retracted position, and a earn lever pivoe ally mounted on said bar and arranged to engage said jaw to actuate the same into clamping position.

12. In a massage device. a bar, side plates thereon, pins jourualed in said side plates, rollers carried by said pins and arranged to form a roller rubbing surface, a series of holes formed through said bar at one end thereof, a slotted clamp jaw, :1 securing bolt adapted to pass through the slot in said clamp jaw and any one of the'holes' through said bar, a cooperating; -mova'bleclamp jaw carried by the other end of said bar, and :1 coin lever for operating said movable clamp jaw.

13. In a massage device, a her having an nnclulated face, a clamp jaw ndjustnhly mounted on said bar at one thereof, a eoiipergiting clamp jaw movably mounted on the other end of said her, and a rubbing surface carried by said 1381'. in witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 26th da y of August 1904, in the presence of the subscribing Witnesses.

SYLVANUS F. BOWSER. Witnesses E. C. SE MPLE, S. E. DARBY. 

